Was the 2024 season a success for the Aggies? Absolutely! Did they finally find their rhythm under first-year head coach Mike Elko? Probably. But was their offense world-class last year? That’s where things become sketchy. The team went undefeated after their opening game loss against Notre Dame and even emerged victorious against teams like Florida and LSU. However, after that game, when teams like South Carolina, Auburn, and Texas came full throttle, Mike Elko had no answers.
Take, for example, the Aggies’ game against Auburn, where they suffered a brutal 41-43 overtime loss. The loss was especially notable since Auburn itself was struggling in the season, and the Aggies probably handed them the win on a platter. Why? Collin Klein’s offense failed to convert red-zone opportunities despite totaling 400+ yards in the game. And when Auburn stacked the box, the offense continuously lacked creativity, with specific issues with play calling.
For instance, Klein’s play calling in overtime was notably criticized, with many safe calls and a lack of explosive plays. The OC’s failure to adjust to Auburn’s defensive tweaks was a primary reason why the Aggies faltered, and the lack of dynamic calls enabled Auburn to stop the run game on which the Aggies were thriving for the majority of the season. Moreover, against Texas, too, similar issues surfaced with red-zone failures, and turnovers plagued the team. So, these debacles have led to a harsh take on Collin Klein’s offense by a prominent analyst.
Cole Cubelic of the SEC Network sat with Josh Pate on the latter’s July 17th podcast episode and showed reservations about sticking with Collin Klein for 2025. “A problem I have with Texas A&M is, are you going to just individually find that identity on offense? The Jekyll and Hyde manner in which Collin Klein called plays in just a couple of games last year, Josh, that’s got to go away. The inability to continue to run the football at Auburn is inexcusable. How the play calling was handled at times against Texas cannot continue to happen,” said Cole Cubelic. However, was Collin Klein (who is on a $1.6 million per year contract) entirely at fault?
Blaming the struggles entirely on Klein’s play calling would be unwise, as there were issues like roster limitations and injuries that impacted the games. Take, for example, the injury of Moss, Nabou, and Bisontis, which disrupted the Aggies’ season and forced Collin Klein to the drawing board. Moreover, there were defensive lapses, too, against Auburn, as they allowed 168 rushing yards, and 243 rushing yards against Texas, as opposed to other games where the defense performed well. However, now Mike Elko and Collin Klein are in their second season at Texas A&M, and with an experienced Marcel Reed, the issues will fade, right?
Mike Elko gets a harsh verdict on Marcel Reed
Marcel Reed was one of the most prominent stories last year, having won the QB1 spot from Conner Weigman and showcasing his dual-threat prowess continuously. Reed finished the season with 1,864 passing and 547 rushing yards and is now coming back with high expectations for the 2025 season. With that said, there were some issues, too, due to which Cole Cubelic isn’t so hyped up about the QB’s 2025 season.
“I’m not bought into Marcel Reed. I don’t know if he’s going to be a great SEC quarterback. I think he’s a great athlete. He’s got a good arm, and I think that they can design some things so that he can help them play winning football, but they need to know what that is and who they are as far as how they do it,” said Cole Cubelic. Also, this year, there are some injury concerns, too, for Marcel Reed. But does all of this make his 2025 season hopes dampened?
There were some issues undoubtedly, which ranged from inconsistency in big games, as we saw against Texas, where he managed only 142 yards. Moreover, his passing game was specifically criticized, with a 61.3% completion rate pointed to as being substandard to succeed in the SEC. However, despite all these concerns, this year, with wide receiver additions like Mario Craver and KC Concepcion, some of the passing issues may not surface. The biggest blessing for Reed is probably the fact that the entire O-line from last year is returning this year. That level of continuity will only aid his growth.
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